Gobind Singh is the Sikhs' tenth and final
human guru. Whereas Guru Nanak was the tranquil mystic, seeking God
through contemplation and retreat, Gobind Singh's image is more like the
warrior king, as this image clearly shows (the crown, quiver, sword, spear,
and lion-mouthed cannon).

This changed emphasis was largely driven by rising
conflict with the Mughal authorities--who had executed both Guru Arjan and
Guru Tegh Bahadur, Gobind Singh's father. In a poem called the
Zafar-Nama, stresses that after all other avenues have been exhausted, one
may take up the sword to defend one's life, family, and community.

According to tradition, Guru Gobind Singh instituted the
Khalsa in 1699 in order to transform his followers into a potent fighting
force, or as tradition records, "from sparrows into hawks." This
tradition is my best guess for the meaning of the small bird in the upper
right.

This image shows Guru Gobind Singh
bestowing amrit (initiation) on the "Five Beloved Ones" (panjapyare).
Sikh tradition reports that this happened on Baisakhi Day in 1699 in Anandpur Saheb, and marks the founding of the Khalsa.

Tradition reports that Guru Gobind Singh called his followers together on
Baisakhi (when Sikhs had traditionally come to offer fealty to
their Guru), and asked the assembled Sikhs for someone to offer his life for
the community. After a moment a man stepped forward and was led by the
Guru into a tent, from which the Guru shortly emerged with a bloody sword.
This scene was repeated four more times, after which Gobind Singh revealed
them all to be alive (having slain 5 goats in their stead). The Guru
then mixed sugar in water, stirring it with a dagger, and gave it to them
(in modern times the initiate will drink some, and also have some sprinkled
on his or her head). After that, Gobind Singh asked them to give this
same mixture to him (and to this day, 5 initiated Sikhs must be present at
this rite).

The Panjapyare represent the willingness to sacrifice everything
for the faith. According to tradition, they also came from five
different groups in Indian society, and thus symbolized that the Sikh
community transcended Indian caste distinctions.

Since the time of Guru Ram Das (d. 1581) the Sikh Gurus had all
been members of a particular extended family. Historians suggest that one
reason Gobind Singh declared that he would be the last human guru is because
his four sons all predeceased him. The two older sons (dressed here
in yellow) were killed in battle during the siege of Anandpur, and the
younger two (in red) were captured and executed by the Mughul authorities,
who bricked them alive in a wall.

This picture thus shows a tender and poignant family
moment, with the Guru holding three of his sons, and the oldest riding his
horse. The viewers, of course, know how this story ends, and the
reference to the four Sahibzadey is one of the elements in the prayer
known as the Ardas (in which one part calls Sikhs to remember those in the
past who have suffered for their faith).

This shows the events that took place after
the fall of Anandpur, when against all odds Gobind Singh managed to escape
capture and death. The picture at upper right shows him resting in the
jungle at Machhiwara following the evacuation of Anandpur; he was eventually
led through the Mughal lines by two Pathans.

The
building in the top center is Kesgarh Sahib Gurudwara at Anandpur, where
Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa in 1699. This is one of the five
Sikh Takhts ("thrones") or significant historical sites.

This image refers to the final days of Guru
Gobind Singh. After the death of Aurangzeb, Gobind Singh had come to
the Deccan to meet with the new emperor Bahadur Shah. The meeting with
the emperor went very well, but while he was there Gobind Singh was stabbed
by a Pathan (who is suspected to have been sent by Wazir Khan, governor of
Sirhind). The wound was
stitched up and Gobind Singh appeared to be recovering, but several days
later the stitches burst when he tried to string a difficult bow, and all
efforts to save him failed.

The image shows Gobind
Singh surrounded by his four sons, who all predeceased him. The large
building in the bottom center is Gurudwara Hazur Sahib in Nander,
Maharashtra, which marks where he died; this is one of the five
Sikh Takhts ("thrones") or significant historical sites.